- Ajay Gupta, co-owner of Goa nightclub where a fire left 25 dead, tried to escape arrest by faking spine issue
- The tactic, however, failed, and Ajay Gupta ended up in the police net
- Gupta has told the media that he was "just a partner" and was not involved in the club's operations
Ajay Gupta, co-owner of the Goa nightclub where a fire left 25 dead, tried to escape arrest by getting himself hospitalised, the investigators have told NDTV. Gupta, who has now been taken into custody, faked a spinal issue and reached the Institute of Brain and Spine in Delhi's Lajpat Nagar. The tactic, however, failed, and Gupta ended up in the police net.
Ajay Gupta is in trouble after the deadly fire at 'Birch by Romeo Lane', a nightclub in north Goa that he co-owns with brothers Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra. The Luthras fled to Thailand's Phuket hours after the blaze, and efforts are being made to bring them back. According to sources, the cops started tracking Gupta soon after the fire, but he was in hiding. By Monday, a lookout circular had been issued and the cops started searching Delhi premises linked to him. Police found that he was moving constantly and keeping his phone use to a minimum to avoid detection.
READ: Swish Restaurateurs To Fugitives: How Goa Fire Singed Luthra Brothers
He then went to the brain and spine hospital and got himself admitted after telling doctors that he was suffering from a spinal issue. The plan was to stay hospitalised for 3-4 days, which would give him time to make other plans.
Officers of the Delhi Police Crime Branch, who are assisting the Goa cops in this case, managed to foil this plan, and Gupta was taken into custody. He will now be produced in court before being taken to Goa.
READ: "I Was Only Sleeping Partner": Detained Co-Owner Of Goa Nightclub To NDTV
Gupta told the media that he was "just a partner" and was not involved in the club's operations. GST documents confirm that Gupta was one of the three partners of the Goa nightclub, besides the Luthras.
READ: Goa Club Fire: Repeated Warnings For Years, Zero Action, Then Disaster
The Goa nightclub and its owners have come under the scanner for multiple violations after a fire on Saturday night claimed 25 lives -- five tourists and 20 staff members. The investigation has revealed violations of building and environmental laws, and fire safety norms. The owners face a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and negligence, among other charges. Four staff members have already been arrested.
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